I would like to pose a question. Lets say that through Yeshua's (Jesus) sacrifice, our sins are atoned for. Which mean's they are covered. If we take that to its logical conclusion, then when we sin we are covered and removed from the sight of God (ie Gods wrath). But we know that God sees every act of obedience we give. Every time we choose to obey our God it brings Glory to His name. It declares His Kingship. Every time even the smallest creature chooses to obey God, it brings Glory to His Name. Wouldn’t we want to be in His sight? Wouldn’t we want to be in His presence?
Why then do we teach sin, death, and judgment instead of life. If sin in effect covers us form His sight, and obedience brings us into His sight, shouldn’t we then choose to obey? Shouldn’t we be teaching life through obedience?
Think about this. Sin in fact removes us form the sight, the presence of God. It gets in the way of our relationship. Obedience on the other hand brings us into His sight, and declares His glory to the world.
Isa 59:1 Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
Isa 59:2 but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
We have to stop teaching death, and only a hope in the life to come. We must start teaching Life. Life Now, for that is what our Messiah has given us. Our Hope is not just in the Life to come but in life now!
So often when someone becomes sick, there focus immediately goes to preventing death. I have a hard truth for everyone out there, we are all going to die. From the moment of our conception entropy sets in and our death is assured. So shouldn’t our focus go from preventing death to bettering our quality of Life. This is the same principle Spiritually. We need to stat proclaiming Life not just death.
Sin is in fact going against Gods Holy Word, and instruction.
1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
“If you need a further explanation of this please see the article entitled :What is Sin”
Lets now look at this idea of atonement.
The Hebrew verb ‘to atone’ (kaphar) means ‘cover’, so the noun ‘atonement’ (kippurim pl.) is a form of ‘covering’. The most usual form of the word in the Old Testament is kipper (piel form, causative form, of kaphar) which means to ’cause to be covered’, ‘make covering for’.
In most of the Tanakh the word atone is in the the Hebrew cover(Hebrew kaphar). The Greek translation of the Tanakh, called the Septuagint, uses the word proptiate (Greek ilaskomai). This word is understood primarily in pagan usage is often used of ‘appeasing’ an angry God, but in the Tankah, and the Apostolic Scriptures that idea is not present, since the concept is that it is man’s own actions are what separate him from God. Man needs to be reconciled, not God. And the basic concept of atonement is covering for sins coming from merciful God, not an angry God being appeased or bought off.
Luk 18:13 “But the tax collector standing at a distance would not even raise his eyes to the heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘Elohim, show favour unto me, a sinner!’
…. God be merciful (ilaskomai) to me a sinner.
Heb 2:17 So in every way He had to be made like His brothers, in order to become a compassionate and trustworthy High Priest in matters related to Elohim, to make atonement for the sins of the people.
...to make atonement (ilaskomai) for the sins of the people.
In this first example in the Apostolic Scriptures, note that Yeshua is compared to a priest. He is making a covering for sins. This is the first of several symbolic Scriptures, in the Apostolic Scriptures ,built on the idea of atonement in the Tanakh.
Another symbolic passage, in the in the Apostolic Scriptures, comparing the practice of atonement or sacrifice can be found in 1John where John takes up language familiar from the Tanakh are as follow.
Num 5:8 But if the man have no kinsman to whom restitution may be made for the guilt, the restitution for guilt which is made unto the LORD shall be the priest’s; besides the ram of the atonement, whereby atonement shall be made for him.
“beside the ram of the atonement (ilasmos), whereby atonement (ex-ilaskomai) shall be made for him.”
1Jn 2:2 and he is the propitiation (ilasmos) for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.
1Jn 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation (ilasmos) for our sins.
In this second example John is using a different symbol from Hebrews 2:17 This time Yeshua is the sacrifice, not the high priest. But the sacrifice does not have to mechanically be exactly the same in every respect as the “ram of atonement” offered in Numbers 5, or any other atonement sacrifice, this is simply an illustration; John is describing Yeshuas’ work so his readers can begin to grasp it. The fact is we cannot truly understand the work of our Messiah, without understanding The Temple and the Sacrifices. Epically in understanding the Temple language, used throughout the Apostolic Scriptures.
We must understand that the sacrifices were not an act of appeasing an angry god as in the pagan religions. The one True God does not need our sacrifices, they were a way to Korban (draw near) to our God. Korban is most often translated simply as sacrifice. The Korban offering did not extend past the Temple proper. They were a way for sinful man to draw near to God.
Gods Holy presence would in fact destroy those in sin. So how could sinful man draw near to Him without being destroyed? It had to be covered (atoned). Once this covering was attained the wrath of Gods presence could not see the sin. Through this even the sinful man could come into Gods presence.
We have to also realize that the atonement was only part of the procedure, because we know that sin removes us from the presence of the Holy God. After the atonement, one had to be in obedience. Through obedience one could declare the glory of God. It was, and is obedience to God that brings us into Gods Holy presence. When one was atoned, or there sin was covered, then they could go into the presence of God, but then only through obedience.
When we sin we are covered in effect form His sight, it does not remove the sin. But once covered we can then choose to obey, to been seen, and in effect come into His presence.
Do we want to be in His presence or simply be covered and invisible?
As we go forth and test these new ideas in Scripture let us pray that our Father gives us His Spirit of wisdom, understanding, and truth. So we may see and walk as our Messiah walked, and be true disciples in the Name of Yeshua (Jesus). May we pray for eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to change for the glory of our God
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